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Assess the view that roles and relations among couples are becoming more equal (24 Marks)

Numerous sociologists have suggested that a large number of relationships are now becoming more symmetrical in compare to the traditional families looking back 40, 100, 200 years ago. They say that the traditional male and female roles are no longer as they were before, it has all fallen apart, and hence relationships have been becoming more equal.

Some sociologists such as Wilmot and Young argue that in symmetrical families, normal domestic duties are most likely to be shared by both parties and they are both very likely to be working. Thus it all undoes the tradition of the past in which a woman would care for the children and the home, and the man being the ‘breadwinner’ would head out and work. Some sociologists also argue that the decision making is no longer only within the man’s hand as it once was, but also in the woman’s hands, the symmetrical family has an equal partnership in decision making. All this evidence leads some sociologists to view the roles and relations of couples to have been becoming somewhat more equal in compare to the past.

On the other hand, some sociologists such as Morgan(1996) argue that women now take part in an act known as the ‘Triple Shift’, this is when women go out and work, but then also do domestic work when at home and give emotional support to partner and children. As a result, many feminists would argue that the roles and relations of couples are not equal, but actually unfair, the woman is doing so much more than her partner. This views result in some sociologist believing that roles and relations have changed in compare to the past, but in a path towards the woman doing more work than the man, making her the ‘breadwinner’.

In conclusion, many sociologists believe that the roles and relations of couples have been becoming more equal, but there are some who still view it to not being equal at all, and some even...

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Sociologists argue that a number of changes have taken place in gender roles and relationships within families. They suggest that changing attitudes to gender roles and increased participation by women in the labour market have led to more equality in modern family life. For example, Young and Willmott believe that the roles among couples are becomingmoreequal as they see a trend towards the symmetrical family. In a study of families they conducted in London, they found symmetrical families were more common among younger couples, people who were geographically and socially isolated and the more affluent. Young and Willmott saw the rise of the symmetrical family as the result of major social changes that took place in the past century such as changes in women’s position, new technology, geographical mobility and higher standards of living. Another sociologist who supports this view is Gershuny. Gershuny found that men were making more of an effort to do housework when their wives were in full time employment. He explains this trend towards equality in terms of gradual...

...Some sociologists believe that gender roles and relationships have actually become moreequal in modern families, however some sociologists believe they have not, the reason that some of these beliefs have come about is from things like domestic division of labour and the impact of paid work and resources and decision making within households.
The domestic division of labour is basically the way that men and women have differentroles within the family. Parson gave each of these a name, instrumental role and expressive role, the instrumental role (according to parson) is men that go to work so that they can put food on the table for their family, the expressive role applies to women in the way that they are there to help bring up the children and help towards primary socialisation as well as making sure the family as a unit is happy. The reason we have this division of labour is because of biological reasons, women are born to be nurturing and caring whereas men are made to be strong and to go out and provide for his family. This means that Parson does not believe in the fact that gender roles and relationships have become moreequal but rather that they will stay the same because we are still being born in the same way. However Young and Wilmot believe in a march of progress...

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•
Potential negative tributary water quality effects (including turbidity, nutrients, and streamwater
temperature) resulting from forest management can be minimized or eliminated with proper road
location and maintenance and proper planning and supervision of silvicultural activities.
•
Stands developed through uneven-aged methods will continually include some younger, shorter
trees. Older trees in these stands develop stronger, more tapered stems than those grown in dense,
even-aged stands. Strongly tapered trees sustain less damage from wind, and the younger
component in uneven-aged stands enable them to recover from disturbance more quickly than
maturing even-aged stands, thus improving their relative long-term water quality protection.
•
Tree species growing on sites and within climatic ranges to which they are best adapted generally
will grow vigorously and persist longer, resulting in a watershed forest that requires less tending.
For example, white pine will grow vigorously but is more prone to root disease and wind throw
on wet sites, while red maple tolerates soil saturation and remains wind firm on the same sites.
Sudbury LMP 2005 – 2014
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...Assess functionalist views of the role of education.
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...Examine the factors which suggests that gender roles are becomingmoreequal. (24 marks).
The domestic division of labour refers to the roles that men and women undertake in relation to housework , paid work and childcare. Functionalists like Parsons argues that the clear division of labour is "natural"as the roles are biologically determined; men with the breadwinner-instrumental role and women with the housewife, expressive role. However some sociologists argues that there is a long term trend towards joint conjugal roles an the symmetrical family and away from segregated conjugal roles. However, feminists sociologist would reject this and would argue that the DOL and gender role stays unequal as the family as an institution remains patriarchal. Feminist are also critical of the functionalist view and argues that it is not natural as it is not found in every society, and instead argues that it is a social construct.
Some sociologists would argue that increased opportunities for women in work is a major factor. Women now are becomingmore financially independent from their husbands. If women are at work they cannot perform domestic chores by themselves and hence their husbands begin to shoulder housework. In support of the view that gender roles...

...﻿Using material from Item 2B and elsewhere, assess the view that gender roles and relationships have become moreequal in modern family life. (24 marks)
Firstly, the item suggests that ‘a number of changes have taken place in gender roles and relationships within families.’ There are a number of sociological perspectives which agree with this statement and also various approaches that criticise the nature of these changes. They argue whether they have created greater equality within modern family life or whether this statement is simply exaggerated. This essay will assess these views and will conclude whether gender roles and relationships have in reality, become moreequal in modern family life.
Initially, within the modernity period, functionalists like Parsons (1955), saw a biological division of labour which he claimed were beneficial to the family and thus wider society. Elizabeth Bott (1957) categorised these divisions through ‘joint and segregated conjugal roles.’ These suggested whether within a marriage, the roles of the family were shared or divided. Parsons viewed these gender roles as being segregated through expressive and instrumental functions which were formed...

...Assess functionalist views of the role of the family.
What do Functionalists believe the role of the family is? Try to back these up using examples of functionalist sociologists.
The whole family has an important part to play within our society and each member have a job to do to keep the family together. Just as Talcott Parsons suggested the theory of functionalism means that the function of anything is about the job that is set to do. However Parsons, along with Wilmott and Young argued that industrialisation has led to open marriage, joint marital roles in the symmetrical nuclear family.
Although families are bound together there is clear segregated roles, especially in the traditional family setting in which most of Britain live by. Where the husbands work to provide for the family and the wife stays at home to look after the children. Men have always thought that they are the head of the household, for example in hunting families even though the women went out to gather food, the men always went out to gather more protein providing food leaving them to be thought as more important. However in some families there are joint roles (sharing roles) where women and men perform both stereotypical jobs of the husband and wife which means both adults go to work and they also share the domestic tasks leaving more time...

...1. Assess the view that gender roles and relationships have become moreequal in modern family life. (24 marks)
Some sociologists support the view that gender roles and relationships have become moreequal in modern family where as some sociologists believe that they have not. These beliefs are developed from factors such as the domestic division of labour, the impact of paid work and resources and decision making in households. Firstly, the domestic division of labour refers to the roles that men and women play in relation to housework, child care and paid work. Talcott Parsons came up with two roles names instrumental and expressive roles. Parson said that men have an instrumental role which is geared towards achieving success at work which enables them to provide for their family financially and that women have an expressive role which is geared towards primary socialisation of the children and meeting the family’s emotional needs. Parson states that the division of labour is based on biological facts, for instance women are more naturally suited to the nurturing role. Therefore Parsons view does not believe the fact that gender roles have led to more equality in family life...

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